[caption id = "attachment_" align = "aligncenter" caption = "] [/caption] In the February issue of the magazine, seven GPS navigators argued among themselves. This is not a complete set of what today's market offers. The choice of instruments with navigation, taking into account urban traffic, is much more modest. However, the main thing is not the number of boxes with screens, but the real differences in their software, sources of traffic information, methods for calculating the optimal path and interfaces. To figure out how successful routes such navigators can get through traffic jams in the city, I had to devote several days to the most nasty component of automobile traffic.
POCKET NAVIGATOR PN-7020
[caption id = "attachment_" align = "aligncenter" caption = "] [/caption] A device with a 7-inch screen, by definition, cannot be compact and lightweight. Despite the name, you won’t carry it in your pocket. Moreover, not every car is spacious enough to accept this device without compromising visibility. The powerful bracket looks solid and is equipped with a non-child-sized suction cup, but even it is weak for an almost half-kilogram navigator. It is better if the bracket will only hold the device, and the lower part rests on the dashboard. Also, do not forget to plug the receiver of traffic information into the necessary AV-In 2 connector. A black box hanging on a wire will not decorate the interior of the car, but based on the traffic signals it receives, a route will be constructed. The kit also includes a suede carrying case, a card reader, a CD with programs and documentation, and even a remote control!
A screen with a diagonal of 18 cm, according to today's expectations, should offer a resolution almost at the level of high-definition television, but there are only 480x234 pixels (PN-7050 with a screen resolution of 800x480 pixels is expected in the near future). In the spacious case there was a place for stereo speakers, but not for the battery - Pocket Navigator PN-7020 only works on the vehicle’s on-board network. There is no power supply unit for plugging into the socket, but it’s a pity: the device is clearly “sharpened” for playing a video signal, and the folding legs allow you to conveniently place it on a table. The hinged antenna of the GPS receiver inspired hope for superiority over the built-in antennas of competitors, but in reality it was difficult to catch a signal in dense buildings. In those places where compact competitors demonstrated the reception of 12-14 satellites, the "giant" saw only six to seven. Maybe the receiver is just as archaic?
They are greeted by clothes, escorted by the mind, aren't they? Let the image on the screen of the PN-7020 not sparkle with rich graphics or sophisticated interface design, there are practically no complaints about the operation of the navigator itself. Information software Com On does its job, traffic jams on the map appear immediately after enabling the corresponding setting. The period of their renewal can be adjusted, as well as the sensitivity of route planning to road difficulties - from completely ignoring warnings to a slight panic before the fear of being stuck. Com On is based on information from Yandex-Traffic service, which, incidentally, is relevant not only for Muscovites, but also for Petersburgers, as well as residents of Yekaterinburg, Krasnodar, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Orel, Rostov-on-Don, Ryazan, Samara, Tula, Ufa and Chelyabinsk. Com On services are paid: a subscription costs 350 rubles a month or 15 rubles a day. You can connect other types of navigators with the Autosatellite program, but it’s better to check the compatibility with specialists. To work, you need a special SIM-card, which is issued when subscribing to the service (cards of mobile operators are not suitable).
TEXET TN-600
[caption id = "attachment_" align = "aligncenter" caption = "] [/caption] Small and slippery mobile devices are often dropped, it does not benefit them. The TN-600 case is rubbery to the touch, and not at all slippery. Of course, the device is not as thin and elegant as it could be, but its display is recessed, that is, relatively protected from scratches. The design is straightforward but neat; the hand evaluates the case as strong enough but heavy. Mounting to the windshield deserves to be rated “good”, not “excellent”: the rigidity is sufficient for the mass of the navigator, but at idle it still vibrates slightly; power connector on the left side, the wire may interfere with the driver. There is a reset button on the case, all settings will be restored to default.
The interface of the CitiGuide 3.0 program looks quite modern, but it takes some getting used to - it will not work the first time to remember the contents of the "deep" menus. Maybe it was worth a little sacrifice of a beautiful picture and increase the number of buttons? Despite the fact that the program itself is very fast, the download lasts a very long time - 44 seconds. The satellites needed for navigation, the device finds much faster. A long download is not only inconvenient, but also provokes the driver to enter the address after the start of the movement, which obviously will not add security. Perhaps this is due to indexing a large amount of cartographic information. There are really a lot of maps: 200 settlements of Russia, of which more than a hundred - with address search. Undoubtedly, the navigator will please Petersburgers, especially those who like to go on vacation to neighboring Finland - there are maps of this country in the kit. Maps of the capital are fairly recent in traffic patterns, but the location of the houses is clearly outdated: entire areas of new buildings are “built up” with five-story buildings, demolished five years ago.
[caption id = "attachment_" align = "aligncenter" caption = "] [/caption] For traffic information, the teXet TN-600 navigator uses the service www.probki.net. He uses not only traditional free sources of information about traffic jams, but also information from more than 3, 000 correspondents, or rather, their navigators, transmitting information about speed along the streets to the center. So, on-road data is supplied by the users of the system themselves, and the more they are typed, the more accurate the picture will be. The service itself is free, you only have to pay for GPRS traffic (about 100 Kb / h), but depending on the number of connections (some operators charge money for the connection), the actual cost of an hour can be from 1 to 10 rubles. To minimize communication costs, we recommend that you select the “keep the connection” tab.
Two types of indication are offered for displaying traffic jams: flow rate or colored lines. The display can be completely turned off and the device can be used in the normal GPS navigator mode. Perhaps the biggest complaint about CitiGuide 3.0 navigation is the peculiar map scaling. Despite all the settings, it was not possible to make the scale on the screen change as it approached the target. You can choose only one scale and its dependence on speed - the slower you go, the more detailed the map.
Among the additional "bonuses" - an Internet browser, the ability to view photo and video materials recorded on micro SD. Of course, you can listen to music (the size of the headphone jack is standard, 3.5 mm). The telephone part here is incomplete: teXet TN-600 can send and receive SMS, but will not provide voice communication - it does not have a microphone.
MIO MOOV 380
[caption id = "attachment_" align = "aligncenter" caption = "] [/caption] The design is above all - a thin and shiny black box with a screen looks perfect! The glass mount bracket is very simple but reliable. The presence of an additional connector in the holder is especially pleasing - the wire does not interfere with the driver and, if handled inaccurately, it will not damage the device that receives power through the stand. A thin case means that the battery is small: in navigation and updating traffic information every 5 minutes, the Mio Moov 380 will not last a couple of hours without recharging. But in the settings you can choose the color scheme of the interface in accordance with your taste - from warm orange to cold blue. And, of course, a strict monochrome version. By the way, unlike the brothers in the lineup, the Mio Moov 380 does not use MioMap, but Be On Road 2.6 - a completely different program. It’s not difficult to understand it - the menu is no more than two levels deep.
Setting up traffic alerts is easy, but you need a SIM card. The stability of the system depends on it, or rather, on the operator. In our case, MegaFon provided reliable updates on traffic information, and Beeline disconnected regularly. The first megabyte costs 7 rubles, the second - 4 rubles 95 kopecks. For the price and quality? The basic settings of GPRS (packet data transfer, not to be confused with GPS!) Are already in memory, so you don’t need any special knowledge, you just need to choose your operator. Climbing into complex settings, not being confident in their actions, is not necessary: the "restore by default" function is not provided. GPS signal reception quality is good, even in the narrowest and narrowest lanes it is not lost (but teXet was detected much faster!).
[caption id = "attachment_" align = "aligncenter" caption = "] [/caption] There are no settings for sensitivity to traffic jams, you just need to request the fastest route and the navigator will draw a trajectory for you. If you don’t like it, you can go as usual, the route will be rebuilt automatically, but do not exact if you get stuck in traffic. I didn’t let Mio Moov 380 go under the prohibition signs, I found the addresses confidently. I was pleased with the search for complex house numbers, taking into account fractional numbers, buildings and structures. He knows the navigator and courtyard driveways, but doesn’t offer to cut through the quarter. If you want to take a chance - try it yourself. If the yard is not dead end, the navigator will quickly figure out how to get through it and get on the route. If it is a dead end, it will offer to turn around. Perhaps this is right: it is not good to go round traffic jams in yards. If the street is “not going” and there is nowhere to turn, it is better to wait. To determine traffic jams, the Mio Moov 380 uses the processing center “Cork Turn” (www.77.ru). The data comes from many sources, but the company does not declare them in detail. The quality of anti-cork alerts is average. Voice prompts are read by a pretty blonde Lena or a strong-willed brunette Anton - to choose from. Not only the volume is regulated, but also the dependence on speed.
[caption id = "attachment_" align = "aligncenter" caption = "] [/caption] In addition to the "cork" service, the navigator offers weather - it never hurts to find out if there will be snow or ice by evening. But the most important thing is
Mio Moov 380 can be a full-fledged phone. Let not the most convenient, but allowing you to easily call in speakerphone mode. Near the ear, the device looks more than strange. You can connect a wireless headset or wired headphones, but only with a non-standard 2.5 mm plug. But this navigator will not help to surf the Internet - there is no corresponding program. But you can translate something from English using the built-in dictionary, read e-books and find out the time anywhere in the world.
Of course, it is suitable for viewing digital photos, and for playing video and audio recordings made on a micro SD card.
CONCLUSIONS
